West Ham extended their advantage over the relegation zone to seven points last night with a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Stoke but required a last-gasp Andy Carroll goal to snatch a point.
David Moyes’ side fell behind in the second half after Joe Hart fumbled Xherdan Shaqiri’s shot and allowed Peter Crouch to tuck home, in what was only the latest in a long-line of errors this season for the Manchester City loanee.
Hart’s poor form means West Ham are extremely unlikely to seek a permanent deal for the England international and BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed the experienced stopper in the wake of the draw, stating he shouldn’t be selected for the World Cup.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw with the Potters, Sutton said:
“There are three better goalkeepers than him,” said Sutton. You cannot take someone because they are a nice bloke and good in the dressing room. If England get two injuries to goalkeepers you need your third keeper to be strong. That is how it should be judged.”
“[England manager] Gareth Southgate isn’t wondering if he is a joker, is he good in the dressing room? He is wondering if he is going to make a save and keep us in the tournament. After that, how can Southgate go away and feel he can trust Joe Hart in an England jersey again?”
With 75 caps, Hart has been first-choice for the Three Lions since the European Championships in 2012 but he faces a major challenge to retain his jersey ahead of the likes of Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.
